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Sigmar
Sigmar Heldenhammer, Patron Deity of The Empire Description Sigmar is the deified legendary founder of The Empire. As befits the character of this mighty warrior, Sigmar is worshipped both for his military might and as the great unifier - the synthesis of all the conflicting interests of the various power groups within The Empire. Statues and paintings usually depict him as a muscular, bearded giant of a man, with long, blond hair. He invariably bears a massive, two-handed Dwarven warhammer and is often shown seated on a simple throne with piles of Goblin heads at his feet. As might be surmised from the size of The Empire, religious practices vary enormously from place to place, with one notable exception: the Cult of Sigmar is widespread and predominates over all others. The Cult is organised along strictly hierarchical lines, under the spiritual leadership of the Grand Theogonist at Altdorf. One rung down the ladder of power are the two Arch Lectors based in Nuln and Talabheim and directly beneath them are 18 ordinary Lectors - one for each Province, excluding the Mootland. The Grand Theogonist appoints all Lectors and, on the death of their leader, these meet in secret conclave beneath the Cathedral in Altdorf to choose his successor. Because of the vital role played by the Dwarfs in the legend of Sigmar, it is customary for the Grand Theogonist and the Arch Lectors to assume Dwarven names on accession to their offices. Clerics of Sigmar will belong to one of three orders, which determines their function within the Cult. PC Clerics will all belong to the Order of the Silver Hammer, whose members travel The Empire, promoting the Cult, rooting out heretics, and generally bringing glory to the Cult. As adventuring Clerics, they are required to pay 25% of their income to the Cult and may be required to spend 1 week per year as a temple guard or as a bodyguard to a Cult dignitary. They are able to conduct services and hear confessions only in the absence of a member of the ecclesiastical order. The other orders are the Order of the Torch, from whose ranks are drawn the administrators of the Cult's temples and the priests who actually officiate at religious ceremonies, and the Order of the Anvil, which is a monastic order whose members live out their lives in isolation from the rest of society, dedicating themselves to meditation and prayer. The former Order makes up the main element of the Cult and the other orders are subject to it. Its members are assigned to provincial temples, with Initiates or semi-trained lay personnel acting as village priests, while town temples usually have a Cleric of level 1 or higher. The main function of the latter order is to study and interpret the word of Sigmar, which forms the basis of Imperial law. Members may be found in law schools and the upper ranks provide legal advisors for the Grand Theogonist and the Emperor. You should note the distinction between this order and the Cult of Verena. The Order of the Anvil is concerned with the letter of the law, leaving the Cult of Verena to worry about justice. The Cult also has an attached order of Templars - The Knights of the Fiery Heart - whose members are not necessarily Clerics and who form a fanatical military wing, which fights alongside the Imperial army in times of war. Alignment Neutral. Symbol The cult of Sigmar is usually associated with two symbols: a stylised Dwarven warhammer and an octagon formed by two superimposed squares, the points of which have been joined up. The former symbol refers, of course, to Sigmar's magical warhammer, Ghal-Maraz, while the latter is symbolic of Sigmar's unification of the eight tribes who were the first human inhabitants of this part of the Old World. Area Of Worship Although technically only a lesser deity, Sigmar is worshipped throughout The Empire. Only in the City State of Middenheim - the site of the chief temple to Ulric - are his temples outnumbered by those of another deity. There is hardly a village, let alone a town, that does not have a temple or shrine dedicated to him. Outside The Empire, however, worship is limited to a handful of exiles and emigrants. Temples Sigmar's temples vary enormously both in the degree of ornamentation and in their layout, largely depending on the character of the benefactor who contributed to their construction. There is one fairly common design, however, which emulates the lofty cathedral in Altdorf. This is based around an octagonal central chamber, topped with a gilded cupola and supported by ornate flying buttresses. Inside, it is richly decorated with brightly coloured frescoes, a huge statue, and golden altar pieces. All Sigmar's temples have two features in common: they have no seats for the congregation, who are expected to stand and/or kneel on hard, cold stone floors, and they all point toward Karaz-A-Karak, the Dwarven citadel whither, it is believed, Sigmar made his last journey in mortal form. Friends And Enemies The Cult maintains friendly relations with the Dwarven cult of Grungni and is neutral towards all other Cults (excepting, of course, those of the Chaos Gods and those proscribed within The Empire, towards which the cult is violently hostile). The rivalry between the Cults of Sigmar and Ulric is detailed in the section on The Empire. Currently, this rivalry is kept on a very formal, secular level and the ancient dispute over the legitimacy of Sigmar's divinity remains buried. However, there still exists a fanatical group of Ulric worshippers who strive to promote the Sigmarian Heresy. In brief, they argue that Sigmar is not a god but the apothesis of a collection of ideas about unity, strength, and the supremacy of The Empire. According to them, Clerics of Sigmar are no better than Daemonologists. These fanatics are forced by the political climate and by the power of the Grand Theogonist to conceal their identities and to meet in secret. Nevertheless, it is rumoured that some of the upper echelons of the Cult of Ulric are members of the group. Holy Days The principal festival of the Cult is the first day of summer - 18th Sigmarzeit. This commemorates both the day when Sigmar was crowned Emperor and the date of his abdication, when - as it is described in the Geistbuch, the Cult's most sacred literary work - "he forsook the world of mortals to augment the realms of the gods." The festival is celebrated throughout The Empire with great feasts and merry-making and, in Altdorf, there is a great procession round the city walls, led by the Grand Theogonist himself. Cult Requirements The only qualifications expected of a would-be Initiate are that he or she be of Good or Neutral alignment and free of any mutations denoting the mark of Chaos. Strictures All Initiates and Clerics of Sigmar must abide by the following strictures: *Obey the commands of their superiors in the Cult without question. *Never refuse aid to a Dwarf (unless of Evil or Chaotic alignment). *Work to promote the unity of The Empire - even at the cost of individual liberty. *Bear true and loyal allegiance to His Impereal Majesty the Emperor. *Root out and destroy Goblinoids and the servants of Chaos, wherever they may hide. Spell Use Clerics of Sigmar have access to Battle Magic spells only and, unlike those of other deities, they acquire their spells from their superiors; only the Grand Theogonist can presume to trouble the deity with such trivial matters. When a Cleric wishes to acquire a new spell, he or she must go through the rituals described, as normal, but must also ask another Cleric of the Cul to pass on the spell. If there is no NPC Cleric available or if he or she does not know the desired spell, it cannot be learnt. Note also that an NPC Cleric may refuse to pass on a spell if he/she believes that there is just cause to do so. The special spell Pool Power is unique to the followers of Sigmar and may be acquired (providing the above requirements are met) at any time after the character has attained level 1. Special Abilities On attaining 1st level, a Cleric of Sigmar may be trained in the use of the Hammer of Sigmar. The training is acquired in the same way as a skill and costs 100 Experience Points; as with spells, NPC Clerics of Sigmar may withhold this training if they believe there is just cause to do so. The Hammer of Sigmar is a special ability which may only be used with a warhammer of some kind; it allows a Cleric to attack once with an effective S of 10 and may be used as many times per day as the Cleric has levels (i.e., a 3rd level Cleric may use it 3 times per day). Skills The skills available to a Cleric of Sigmar depend on the order to which he or she belongs. At each level, Clerics of Sigmar may acquire one of the following skills: Trials These are almost invariably set by the Cult's hierarchy, rather than being direct instructions from the deity himself, and nearly always relate to the defence of The Empire - be it spiritually or physically. Typical trials involve finding and destroying a Goblin or Beastman lair within the Forest Of Shadows, delivering assitance to a beleaguered Dwarven stronghold, or even joining the monastic order for a period (effectively removing a PC Cleric from play). Blessings Skills favoured by Sigmar include Charm, Excellent Vision, Hypnotise, Lightning Reflexes, Very Resilient, Very Strong, and Wrestling. Favoured tests include Fear, Interrogate, Reaction, Strength, and Terror. Category:Rules Category:Religion